Johnny "John" Lee White

John Lee White, 73, of Minnetonka, MN, died at home on January 18, 2022, after a hemorrhagic stroke, with his family by his side. John was born on May 2, 1948 in Camden, Arkansas and grew up in the segregated South. He was one of the first African American students to attend the previously all-white Camden High School. He graduated in 1965, then attended Arkansas AM&N College, where he participated in ROTC and earned an accounting degree. In July 1970, he was commissioned as an officer in the Air Defense Artillery branch of the U.S. Army. He served in Germany, became a parachutist at the 173rd Airborne Jump School at Ft. Benning, GA, and was company commander at Ft. Bliss, TX. He earned the National Defense Service and Army Commendation medals and traveled across the U.S. as part of the Defense Race Relations Institute. After being discharged from the Army in 1976, John began a long career in logistics and vendor operations, first at Johnson & Johnson and then at Target Corp. His work with Target took him and his family to Little Rock, AR; Pueblo, CO; and Minneapolis. He retired in 2008. John met Betty Gray while working for Johnson & Johnson in Texas in 1980. They married in 1981. Their daughter, Jaylon, was born in 1983. John was a devoted husband, loving father, and dedicated grandfather to grandsons Hudson and Aiden. He approached life with joy, sought the good in others, and continually looked for ways to improve himself and the world around him. He became a certified coach for Rock Steady Boxing, a training program for people with Parkinson's, so he could support his beloved wife with the disease. His calm, steady presence will be missed by all who knew and loved him. John is survived by his wife, Betty; daughter Jaylon (Elliot); grandsons Hudson and Aiden; brothers Carl (Anita), Thomas (Joyce), and Ronald; sister Linda; nieces and nephews; and a host of friends, old and new. He is preceded in death by his mother Almeta McIntyre and grandfather Carl White. In remembrance of John's life, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to Rock Steady Boxing, the Michael J. Fox Foundation or Struther Parkinson's Center. A celebration of John's life will be held at the Washburn-McReavy Edina Chapel on Wednesday, January 26, 2022 at 11:00am, followed by a graveside service at Fort Snelling National Cemetery at 12:45pm.

Tributes

Johnny "John" Lee White

May 2, 1948 - January 18, 2022

Tributes

Johnny "John" Lee White

May 2, 1948 - January 18, 2022

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